Police on hunt for con-man who racks up bills at pubs without paying

Publicans are keeping an eye out for a boozy grifter who disappears after racking up gargantuan bills.

The thief’s latest con-job left the Wyvill Arms of Contable Burton, North Yorkshire with an unpaid food and drink tab of £195.50.

The culprit enjoyed steak pie for lunch, before treating himself to the fillet steak for dinner.

Along with his meals, he consumed four bottles of Peroni, 14 vodka and cokes, four large white wines, two gins and two pints of Hop House craft lager.

The man then drank a £23 bottle of Prosecco, before going to his room.

The pub quotes him as said he was “tired and emotional” after his wife had failed to join him as they had planned.

He then scarpered in the morning without paying, leaving the operators angry and out of pocket.

The waitress who was serving him, described him as being in his late 20s or early 30s, tall, stocky, and with strawberry blonde hair.

Repeat Offender

The White Horse in nearby Ripon, in the Yorkshire Dales, had previously also been victim of a similar job, which is thought to have been committed by the same perpetrator.

Landlord Dave Bate said a man matching the description of the Wyvill Arms’ thief had spent five nights at The White Horse, before leaving on 16 November without paying his £500 bill.

Bates told the Morning Advertiser: “The man said his boss would be paying.

“He’s a pathological liar and clearly a very heavy drinker.”

His bill included £400 for his accommodation and £100 for 25 pints of lager.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire police released a statement saying: “Inquiries are ongoing to identify the man and establish if the incidents are connected.”